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Date: 2/8/2023
CHICOPEE – Mayor John Vieau visited St. Joan of Arc School to honor students Sophia Ciecko and Cayla Ribeiro as winners of the city’s Clean City Initiative Poster Contest on Feb. 1. The two students collaborated on one of 30 submissions and received a pizza party for their creation, which will now be utilized as the city’s logo for an extensive effort to make Chicopee the “cleanest city in Western Mass.”
“The city is going to lead by example … I want us to have the cleanest city in Western Mass.,” said Vieau to a St. Joan of Arc School classroom.
Ciecko and Riberio’s poster entitled “Lookin’ Good in The Neighborhood” will be used in conjunction with the contest’s slogan winner, “Stop the Drop,” as branding for the new clean city movement. Vieau announced the contest in fall 2022 as one measure for embedding the city’s renewed focus on improving sanitation in Chicopee.
“We’re going to create multiple banners and spread them throughout the schools … I think its going to help,” said Vieau.
Vieau aspires to have the city to lead by example in ensuring cleanliness. He stressed that the city is working to restore all city-owned properties to satisfactory conditions, both in the properties’ exteriors and interiors.
“Our buildings will be clean and hopefully something you are all proud of,” said Vieau.
Chicopee recently hired David Rice as its new director of facilities maintenance. Previously, Chicopee’s municipality and school department shared a maintenance agreement that was overseen by Scott Chapdelaine. Chicopee Public Schools decided to separate from the agreement in 2022, with Chapdelaine now working solely as the director of maintenance for the school district.
Vieau stressed that he and Rice are collaborating on a share vision for Chicopee’s city-owned properties.
“[Rice] and I are on the same page,” said Vieau.
As part of the Clean City Initiative, Vieau also plans to reestablish the city’s Problems Property Committee – which meets regularly to address residential and commercial properties that are attributing to an unsanitary environment. The committee will include Vieau, representatives from the Building and Health departments, City Council President Frank Laflamme and DPW Superintendent Elizabette Batista.
“We are creating a process that’s going to be fair and consistent for everyone,” said Vieau in an October 2022 interview with Reminder Publishing. Currently, the Problems Property Committee is still in its development stages.
The mayor also cited the importance of ensuring cleanliness in Chicopee Center. He shared that the city is incorporating new trash cans and will continue to sweep the center on a weekly basis.
Vieau aspires for his different initiatives to help develop a sense of pride within the community.
“My mission is to try and get all of us to be proud as a city,” said Vieau.